Semele in the Underworld
by Rafi77
Summary: This is the story of Semele, the mother of Dionysos, after she was killed by Zeus' thunderbolt. Read & review please.


Semele woke with a gasp. She slowly sat up, and then she looked around her. Everything seemed dark. There was an eerie noise coming from somewhere. She looked around her, wondering where she was. Her mind was still dazed, and she couldn't think properly, she was still shaken and afraid. She tried to remember a few things, but she was unable to remember where she had just been. Then suddenly she saw a figure materialise in front of her. A woman, tall, dark, stand in front of her and watch her calmly.

"Hello Semele," the figure said to her gently and smiled at her. Semele was still scared. She had no idea where she was, or how she had ended up there. The last thing she remembered was queuing up for a boat that had carried her there. But why? What was she doing there? She looked at the woman silently and didn't answer, she was still deep in thought, or at least, attempting to be.

"Can you hear me?" the woman said to her. Semele looked at her for a minute, and then nodded silently. "Good," the woman continued. "Now you don't have to speak, you can just nod or shake your head. Is it OK if I ask you a question?"

Semele nodded silently once again. The woman carried on. "Do you know where you are?"

Semele looked around her again, and shook her head truthfully. She really had no idea. This woman looked very kind though, perhaps she could tell her. The woman smiled and said to her, "Well, I'll explain all that to you in just a few minutes, I expect you are wondering about that. But first I want to ask you a few simple questions. Is that OK with you?"

Semele waited for a minute. She had no idea what was going on, but she really wanted to know, so she nodded.

"OK," the woman sighed. "Think about this and answer me when you're ready. What's the last thing that you remember, Semele?"

Semele thought about this for a minute. She had been unable to think properly until just a few seconds ago, but now her mind had started to work again and she thought about it. What had happened? Where had she been before she ended up there? Then a memory flashed back to her mind, and she spoke for the first time. "I remember Zeus," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I remember being in my room at the palace in Thebes, and Zeus was there," Semele paused and thought again. Her mind was slowly coming back to her, and she continued as she remembered again. "We were talking. And then…" Semele paused. The woman waited. She really didn't remember anything else. The woman looked at her and asked her gently, "Do you remember what you were talking about, Semele?"

Semele fought to remember. She sat there thinking for a full minute and then shook her head at the woman. "No," she told her. "No, I don't remember. All I remember is that I was in my room with Zeus, we were talking, and then…somehow I ended up here," Semele said.

"Try to remember," the woman pressed her. "It's the only way I can properly explain why you're here. Take as long as you want, just think. Answer me when you can."

Semele thought and thought. Then she suddenly got another flashback that made her gasp. "I remember lightning," she said to the woman. "Yes, that's it, I remember Zeus going out of the room and then there was a flash of lightning."

The woman nodded. "Yes," she said gently. "Now, do you remember what you were talking about?"

Semele thought again. Her conversation with Zeus had started to come back to her. "I was asking Zeus…I was asking…whether he could reveal himself to me. Yes, I definitely remember that. I asked him whether he could prove to me that he's really a god. And then…then I came here," Semele said, and then carried on. "But where am I though? And who are you, how did I get here?"

The woman sighed. "I will answer all of your questions for you now, Semele. But first I want you to do something for me. I want you to promise me that you will not be too shocked at what I will tell you, that you will try to keep calm. Will you do that for me?"

Semele was the slightest bit scared then, but she nodded. "Yes, I promise," she said.

"OK," The woman started off and then continued, gently whispering to Semele, "You were killed by Zeus' thunderbolt. When the lightning struck you, you died instantly. And then you came here, to the Underworld. That is where you are. And I am Persephone, the queen of this place."

Semele remained silent for a minute. She looked down at her body. She could no longer feel skin when she tried to touch herself. Instead her hand just wafted right through. Semele gasped and fell to the ground again, very shocked at what she had just heard. Persephone caught her as she fell, and held her for a minute. Semele thought about this. She had died? Could it be true? Zeus had killed her with a thunderbolt? But she trusted him. How could he do that? Semele remained silent for a long time, and she felt tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks. It was actually the only thing that she could feel. So she was dead now. She would never see daylight again; she was destined to stay in this dark awful place for all eternity. Persephone gently stroked her hair and didn't say anything as Semele lay on her lap.

After a few minutes Semele managed to speak again. "But why?" she asked. "Why did Zeus do that? Why me? How could he kill me? I still don't believe it." Then Semele suddenly realised something. Her child! She had been pregnant when she died. What had happened to it? Did it die also? "But what happened to my child?" she asked. "Do you know that? What has become of it?"

"Don't worry about that, your child is safe," Persephone continued. "Zeus has it, it will be fine."

"How do you know all these things?" Semele asked. "Who told you?"

"No one really. I've been watching you for quite a long time though, from when I returned to Olympos in the spring. I saw the thunderstorm in Thebes and I wondered if you were hurt, so I…I suppose you were. Now, you want to know why he killed you," she carried on. "Well, I think that anyone's body would be unable to take such a force as that of a thunderbolt striking them. At least any mortal's body. I don't really know what else to tell you, you will have to try to remember yourself. Can you remember anything else?"

Semele thought again. She still couldn't get the fact that she was dead into her mind. But she tried to remember so at least she would know why she was dead in the first place.

"I remember Zeus swearing to give me anything I ask for," Semele continued. "Please don't ask me to remember anything else right now, I really don't remember. I think it was my fault that I ended up here anyway. I just…I think I need some time alone right now, if you don't mind."

"OK. I'll leave you for now, and we'll talk again later if you want," said Persephone. "But you're going to be all right from now on, don't worry. You're safe here, and we're going to do our best to make your stay here as pleasant as possible. And remember it is not your fault that you died. No one dies through a fault of their own, don't forget that. Anyway, I'll come back to see you later, if that's all right with you. You're more than welcome to have a look around, if you want. Get to know the place. You should get some sleep too, you're exhausted. You'll feel better tomorrow."

With that she left silently with a smile. Semele was left alone with her thoughts. She cried for a while, still thinking of her life before she had died and of her child…now she would never see it. Persephone had seemed so kind. She was trying to make her feel welcome there, but she really couldn't, it was literally not possible. How was she supposed to feel welcome in a place where the dead lived? Plus looking at it kind of freaked her out, the darkness and the strange noises and the shadowy spirits wafting this way and that sent shivers down her spine. Even though really she knew that she was one of them now. That thought was what scared her the most. She discovered that even though she was dead, her feelings had not died with her body. Semele didn't know what time it was, but pretty soon she had cried herself to sleep.

The next day she woke up thinking that she was still in her palace, which made it all the more painful for her when she remembered the events of the previous day and what she had found out. She was almost about to start crying again, but then she thought that maybe if she was going to spend an eternity here she might as well get used to it.

That day she wandered around, trying to see if there was anything to do, but she noticed that all the dead people seemed to just waft around without doing anything, which made her even more depressed. She would never be able to fit in here. She wondered how everyone else here had felt when they died. Had they felt the same way as her? And now is this what she had to do every day, just wonder around without reason?

But that evening, after Semele had cried some more, she was very surprised to get a visit from Zeus. She wondered why he was there, in this dark and gloomy place, but she was kind of glad, she had so many questions that she wanted to ask him. But right then the only thing that could come out of her mouth was, "Hi."

"Good evening Semele," Zeus said cheerfully. "I trust you had a safe trip here?"

"It was all right thank you," Semele said after a while. She didn't mention that it was dark and boring and depressing in that place, but Zeus seemed to read her mind. "I know how you feel," he said to her gently. "But I just came here to check up on you and to say goodbye to you as well. I won't be able to visit you so often when you're down here, and I don't have that much time now anyway."

"Wait a minute though," Semele said. "I want you to answer something for me, just one thing."

Zeus waited, his face looking a bit anxious. "Why did you kill me?" Semele asked gently. She waited what his reply would be, almost crying again.

"Because I swore to give you anything you asked for," Zeus said quietly. "But whatever made you ask that question, I'm sure it was something to do with my wife Hera. She's very jealous. But now listen to me. You'll be all right here, my daughter Persephone will take care of you. I know you feel scared right now but you'll soon fit in. And when our child grows up, he'll live on Mount Olympos as a god as well, and he'll be very successful in his life as well, take this from me. But now I have to say goodbye to you. You'll be OK from now on, everyone here might live very quietly but they're all very nice really. And believe it or not, I really do love my wife very much. So, goodbye Semele and feel better soon."

"Goodbye," she whispered, and then looked around her. He was gone. But somehow his visit had made her feel a bit better. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all.

The days passed, and Semele soon started to feel herself at ease with the Underworld and with everyone in it. She soon realised that she had to accept the fact that she was dead now, and there was nothing that she could do about it. Maybe it was just her fate to die young.

Semele and Persephone soon became good friends. Semele was surprised to learn that Persephone was a daughter of Zeus as well, and then she wondered how many children Zeus must have. Until just a while ago, she had thought that she was the only mortal woman he could ever love, but how wrong she was. How could I be so stupid, Semele thought?

She also met a lot of other women there who claimed to have slept with Zeus, and Semele was glad that she was not alone, that there were others like her, and soon she started to feel…well, not happy, she knew that she could never feel happiness like she used to, but she was in a good mood all the same, and she also hoped to hear more news of her son sometime as well.

After a few years passed, to Semele's surprise, her son Dionysos had come to take Semele from the underworld and to make her immortal. At first she was reluctant and thought, what will Zeus' wife think of me if I go to Olympos? She was worried at first, but then she realised that maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Isn't immortality supposed to be everything anyone could want? But of course she also thought, "I was just beginning to get used to it here!"


End file.
